IP/C/R/TC/CAN/3  
 
30 September 2022  
(22-7352)  Page: 1/8 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English   
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
CANADA  
The following communication, dated 13 September 2022 , is being circulated at the request  of the 
delegation of Canada . 
 
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BRIEF OUTLINE OF TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN DURING THE 
REPORTING YEAR  
1.  Article 67 of the WTO Agreement on Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights  
(TRIPS) requires that, "[i]n order to facilitate the implementation of this Agreement, developed 
country Members shall provide, on request and on mutually agreed terms and conditions, technical 
and financial cooperation in favour of developing and least -developed country Members ". Pursuant 
to Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement, the Council for TRIPS re quests that developed country 
Members report on their technical and financial cooperation programmes in favour of developing and 
least-developed country (LDC) Members. The present document provides an update on Canada 's 
activities in respect of technical a nd financial cooperation in the area of intellectual property (IP) in 
favour of developing country and LDC Members, covering the 2021 -2022 period.  
2.  Canada continues to undertake a number of technical cooperation activities in favour of 
developing and LDC Me mbers at the multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral levels. At the multilateral 
level, Canada works in close collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 
as well as with the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation Intellectual Prope rty Rights Experts ' Group 
(APEC -IPEG) where Canada participates in the IPEG 's semi-annual  deliberations aimed at sharing 
information and best practices on IP rights. In addition, Canada 's technical cooperation activities are 
administered by the Canadian In tellectual Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Canada, the Royal 
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and other 
Government of Canada departments and agencies. Other Canadian institutions that receive fund ing 
from the Government of Canada – such as the Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) and the 
University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society – are also involved in international 
technical cooperation efforts.  
3.  Details of technical cooperation activities are provided in the Annex.  
 
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- 2 - ANNEX1 
Name of programme or project  CIPO-WIPO Executive Workshop on IP Office Management  
Date and end date  16 May 2022 - 27 May 2022  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  CIPO hosts and delivers an annual CIPO -WIPO Executive Workshop on management 
techniques in the delivery  of IP services, for senior officials from developing 
countries. Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, this year 's workshop was the second 
edition to be held virtually over the course of two weeks. Following the success of 
last year 's virtual workshop, participant s were once again required to conduct an IP 
management research project under the guidance of a CIPO advisor. Participants 
selected a research topic and developed a project over the course of 10 weeks with 
the guidance of an advisor. At the end of the 10 -week period, all participants 
submitted a project report which summarizes their findings and project objectives. 
The intention is for participants to implement the projects at their respective IP 
offices in order to advance the organization 's IP management and overall 
governance. The objectives of the two -week workshop were to:  
• Enhance knowledge and skills in the area of management techniques in the 
delivery of IP services;  
• Improve the capacity of IP officials;  
• Provide participants with first-hand experience of the nature and scope of Canada 's 
IP expertise, products and services;  
• Provide a forum to exchange ideas and experiences with officials from other IP 
offices. Upon completion of the workshop, all successful participants were award ed 
a Professional Development Certificate.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo -pub-467-2022-en-the-wipo-
academy -portfol io-of-education -training -and-skills-development -programs -
2022.pdf#page=21  
Contact point for further information   
 
 
1 In English only .  
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- 3 - Name of programme or project  Pre-recorded webinars on IP and patents on the website of Trade Facilitation Office 
(TFO) Canada  
Date and end date  1 January 2021 - 31 December 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  These webinars, which were recorded in 2016 through CIPO collaboration with TFO  
Canada, are available in English on the TFO Canada website for embassies, 
consulates and businesses from developing and emerging countries. Topics covered: 
Basics of Canadian IP, Registering patents in Canada, Registering trademarks in 
Canada, IP Foundati ons for women entrepreneurs, Overview of IP – trademarks for 
SMEs.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.tfocanada.ca/webinars.php  
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 4 - Name of programme or project  Open African Innovation Research network (Open AIR)  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  Open AIR is a unique collaborative network of researchers spread across Africa and 
Canada. Their research aims to ease tensions between IP and access to knowledge, 
and to understand how knowledge -based businesses can take advantage of global 
opportunities, while sharing the benefits of innovation throughout society. Open AIR 
is funded by Canada 's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and has 
a Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council 
(SSHRC) until March 2022. They were also selected for the Queen Elizabeth 
Scholars  – Advanced Scholars programme, funded through Universities Canada. A 
new phase which started in 2018, implemented in collaboration with the University 
of Cape Town, South Africa, will research how Africa 's high -tech hubs are facilitating 
the adaptation and adoption of emerging technologies in Africa, including artificial 
intelligence; how maker communities facilitate inc lusive innovation, especially by 
empowering women and girls and benefitting members of marginalized groups; and 
how to build confidence in Indigenous populations to effectively participate in 
collaborative knowledge production with optimal and equitable be nefits.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  http://www.openair.africa   
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 5 - Name of programme or project  Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM) – Strengthen 
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) Protection in Viet Nam  
Date and end date  1 January 2021 - 31 December 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Viet Nam  
Brief description  This technical assistance activity is supporting the IP Office of Viet Nam to implement 
legal and administrative reforms that will better enable the country to fulfil its 
commitments under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for T rans-
Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The technical assistance is benefitting officials in three 
major ways:  
i) it is exposing them to how sound marks and undisclosed test data for agricultural 
chemical products are protected in Canada;  
ii) it is exposing them  to how IP rights are enforced by Canadian border officials and 
through criminal remedies; and  
iii) it is helping officials develop tools to raise public and private sector understanding 
of IP obligations in the CPTPP.  
Beneficiary institution or audience  IP Office of Viet Nam  
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://edm -mde.ca/portfolio/strengthen -intellectual -property -rights -iprs-
protection -in-viet-nam/   
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 6 - Name of programme or project  Strengthening cyber policy research centres in the Global South – Centre for 
Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law  
Date and end date  1 April 2019 - 30 April 2022  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Kenya  
Brief description  This project strengthened research and policy capacity on critical digital policy issues 
to ensure that policymakers in the Global South consistently use objective, high 
quality research to inform digital policy development. This project is supporting 
cyber policy research centres to develop a robust policy research agenda that 
addresses all facets of cyber and digital policy, including innovation, human rights, 
and security, and the interplay of these issues in the Global South. This proj ect has 
created an academic, open access, peer -reviewed journal – the Journal of 
Intellectual Property and Information Technology (JIPIT). Strathmore University 
Press published volume one in May 2021, and is currently preparing for the next 
volume. A podca st has also been developed called The Friendly Troll, with 
observations of the global tech industry from the perspective of the Global South.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for furthe r information  https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/strengthening -cyber -policy -research -centres -
global -south -centre -intellectual -property -and 
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 7 - Name of programme or project  Initiative for Digital Rights in Latin America (INDELA)  
Date and end date  1 January 2019 - 31 December 2022  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Argentina; Plurinational State of  Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Cuba; Ecuador; 
Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela  
Brief description  The project is strengthening and supporting the digital rights ecosystem in Latin 
America by building the capacit y of key and emerging thought leaders with skills, 
knowledge, and resources; addressing critical challenges around digital rights; and 
promoting coordination among funders and organizations.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation prov ider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/initiative -digital -rights -latin-america -indela  
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Supplying free copies of Canadian patent documents for developing countries  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  Upon request from WIPO.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 8 - Name of programme or project  Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CPTL) – guidance, support, knowledge and tools  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The Canada -based CTPL  is a Canadian institution that provides developing and 
transition economies with guidance and support to sustain them in the short -term 
and with the knowledge and tools to ensure their full participation in international 
trade agreements, including specif ic training on IP law and policy issues.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://carleton.ca/ctpl/   
Contact point for further information   
 
 
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